28 Names
by Glitch
Summary: Helga goes missing and of course the only two who REALLY care are Arnold and Phoebe. But when they find her, Arnold tries to take her home, but it isn't that easy when Bob's being the type father he is......R


Ash's Note: Sorry, hadn't had A LOT of time to update my other stories. Hope you like this one though. The title'll make sense by the 4th chappie. Seeya!  
  
Ash: Don't own nothin'. ^_~  
  
It was a usual day in the neighborhood as the male half of the gang hung out at skating park. They were all in the 8th grade now and- Cool, Arnold did a 360!  
  
"Wicked awsome Arnold! Way better than yesterday." Sid shouted from below the ramps starting point. Arnold rode down and jumped off the ramp and joined the circle of friends.  
  
"Thank you thank you!" He joked, bowing stupidly, with a grin to match. As he stood straight and turned to get back to the ramp when he crashed into a girl....  
  
"Phoebe I didn't know you could skate." Arnold told her as he stood up and gave her a helping hand. His goofy smile suddenly turned serious as he saw the little japanese girl with a worried, stressed look. "What's wrong?"  
  
"It's, well..." She looked around the group and began panicking. "Where is she?"  
  
"Who?" Arnold asked, holding her shoulders to calm her down, the rest of the guys just stood there watching.  
  
"Helga. She wasn't at school, and she's not home, I looked everywhere she could be hanging around and she's not anywhere! I'm worried and she's usually always around and I thought she'd be here seeing yo-errrrr...." She stopped and blushed then continued. "Yo-errrrr, pretty good at skateboarding, like everyone says, so I thought she'd come to watch."  
  
Arnold saw her blush but being the dense twit he was, he ignored it. Phoebe had returned from her moment of embarressment to her paranoid expression.  
  
"Do you need help finding her?" Arnold asked. Gerald cut in.  
  
"Yeah, Arnold and I can help you, and the guys too!" Gerald offered, hoping to impress Phoebe. The rest of the guys groaned.  
  
"Why do we have to help find Helga?" Sid asked.  
  
"Yeah, she's a mean bully on acount that she's always teasin' us about stupid stuff." Stinky agreed.  
  
"Yeah Arrrrr-nuld? Why ya wanna find Helllll-ga for? You sweet on each other or something?" Harold asked. Arnold rolled his eyes.  
  
"Come on. Helga's our friend and we have to find her and help her. She's a very important part of our gang! If she's not here things will be really different." Arnold told them.  
  
"Yeah it'll be peaceful, nicer, quieter, shall I go on?" Park asked. Arnold shook his head.  
  
"Fine. Me and Gerald will help Phoebe. See you tomorrow at school." Arnold told them. He heard a bit of snickering and whispers and the three left the park. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Arnold looked into an alley. He was assigned the eastern and western part of the neighborhood. Gerald was to search the northern and southern half of the neighborhood as Phoebe went to check Helga's faveorite spots.  
  
"She's not here neither." He told no one in paticular. He began walking, thinking why Helga would hide out from everyone. He dicided to check the park again just in case she ran in there when he wasn't looking.  
  
Not there niether. Arnold sighed, then sat under the tree he was standing next to. He sighed and actually pulled his cap off, running fingers through his hair.  
  
"Where could she be?" He asked outloud. He looked around and saw a lady reading a book, Arnold checked the title to see it was a copy of Romeo and Juliet, Revise Version. He laughed silently as he recited a line.  
  
"What light, yonder window breaks? Tis the east, and Juliet is the sun." He laughed as he remembered Mr. Hyunh dressed up in a dress and Mr. Kokashka calling him a 'sad man in a dress.'  
  
"Romeo, Romeo. Where for art thou Romeo? Defy thy father and refuse thy name and I shall no longer be a Capulet." A voice said softly. Arnold jumped. He the saw a leaf fall into his up-turned cap.  
  
He looked up to see Helga staring shocked at him, he felt the same.  
  
"I was looking everywhere for you!" He told her as he stood up and began climbing the tree. Helga sat on the branch looking for a way out but couldn't find one without dropping onto Arnold.  
  
When he finally got on the branch Helga sat there leaning against the tree with a bag at her feet.  
  
"Phoebe's been worried about you. We should better get you home so you can talk to her." Arnold told her smiling. He noticed Helga's quiet nature. Usually she would have said something like, 'what do you want Football Head?' "What's wrong?"  
  
"I don't want to go back home. Or to school, not untill I have enough cash to buy my own house or something..." Helga told him, rubbing her arm. Arnold looked confused.  
  
"What do you mean?" Anrold asked, she was looking down at the base of the tree, and sighed, she might as well tell him everything.  
  
"Well seeing you're so eager to know Football-head, Olga's back and she's teaching the class as you know for the rest of the year. And she's living at home with us, constantly trying to give Merium and Bob a false 'sisterly time' look as she 'hangs out' with me but all she does is pretend to be sweet and caring and when we actually DO things she get's on my case for stupid reasons! Plus Bob lost over 3. 25 million dollars in merchandise over-seas and he's taking everything out on me. And Merium's to hung over to know what's going on, so I'll just stay out here till everything blows over or something." Helga told him. Arnold stared at her, she was always going on about her parents ignoring her but he always thought that she was jus joking. But now he wasn't so sure anymore. She had a bag full of belongings and she was wearing a coat and a hat he'd see her wear when she would go walking around the city.  
  
"Come on Helga, let me just walk you home, I'm sure it's not that bad." Arnold told her as he began lowering himself to the branch below.  
  
"Yeah, they would try murdering me...." Helga replied looking to the higher branches. Arnold shook his head.  
  
"Can I just walk you home and if I have proof that how you say they treat you is true....then I guess you can stay in the boarding house till it blows over or something."  
  
Helga looked at him unsure. He is actually inviting me into his home to stay with him till my blow hard father and ever-so perfect sister keel over or something. She thought as she gave a defeated sigh.  
  
"Fine Football-head. You win, but if what you see won't be pretty so don't blame me for giving you an emotional scar for life." Helga replied. "And you better get that room ready to be used."  
  
Arnold nodded as they climbed down. They walked down the street and towards Helga's house in scilence. Both with their own thoughts.  
  
Did I really invite Helga into my home? I'm beginning to lose it! Anrold thought. Then began thinking of what Helga had said about her family. Arnold didn't know what to think of the Pataki's anymore. He always thought they were a loving rich family that Helga always got angry at because of one small mistake, but now she's actually trying to hide from them to stay out of the way....  
  
Arnold's thoughts lasted long enough for him to realize that they were already at her house. Helga sighed and walked up the stoop, Arnold stood there at the foot of it.  
  
"Alright, prepair to be amazed!" Helga told him sarcasticly as she walked in.  
  
Arnold stood there as he heard Big Bob's muffled yells through the door. He heard Helga shouting back. Curious he ran to the window to investigate.  
  
"You call all my only friends stupid names! You call Phoebe Fifi, you call me Olga, and it's HELGA! You call Arnold, Alfred! How can those names be similar compared to the names you give me and Phoebe I'll never know..." Helga yelled, She was gripping a remote control that Arnold could see was breaking into pieces under her grip.  
  
"Alfred? you mean Orphan boy? Why in the world are you hanging around that Football-headed kid that lives with scenile old people!?" Bob yelled, Helga looked like she was straining to contain herself.  
  
"He's my friend, and he's nice to hang out with. He helps people and he doesn't ignore me like how you all do in this stupid place you call home! Why would you care?" Helga asked as she dropped the remote she broke in half.  
  
"Because he's crazy! He lives with scenile old people!His- Where are you going?" Bob yelled as Helga ran toward the door.  
  
"Away from you!!!!" Helga shouted as she opened the door, Arnold was going to walk over to help calm her down but she ran off in the other direction and dissapeared in a crowd before Arnold could find her. 


End file.
